Chapter 2
Vectors
VECTOR QUANTITIES
A physical quantity which requires magnitude and a particular direction for
its complete expression.
B Head
Arrow shows Direction
AB
Length shows Magnitude
A
Tail
Triangle Law of Vector Addition R = A + B
R= A 2 + B2 + 2ABcos θ
R
Bsin θ B B sin q
tan α =
A + Bcos θ a q
θ θ A B cos q
If A = B then R = 2A cos &a=
2 2
Rmax = A + B for q = 0°; Rmin = A – B for q = 180°
Parallelogram Law of Vector Addition
If two vectors are represented by two adjacent sides of a parallelogram which
are directed away from their common point then their sum (i.e. resultant
vector) is given by the diagonal of the paralellogram passing away through
that common point.
7
D C
A +B
B
R=
b
A q a
B
A
AB + AD = AC = R or A + B = R ⇒ R = A 2 + B2 + 2AB cos θ
Bsin θ A sin θ
= tan α = and tan β
A + Bcos θ B + A cos θ
Vector Subtraction
R
= A−B ⇒ R = A + (−B)
Bsin θ
R
= A 2 + B2 − 2ABcos θ , tan=
α
A − Bcos θ
B
B cos q
A q
a q
B sin q
R –B
θ
If A = B then R = 2A sin
2
Addition of More than Two Vectors (Polygon Law)
If some vectors are represented by sides of a polygon in same order, then their
resultant vector is represented by the closing side of polygon in the opposite order.
C
R
B
A
Hand Book (Physics) 8
Rectangular Components of a 3-D Vector
A = A x ˆi + A y ˆj + A z kˆ
Ax Ax
• Angle made with x-axis cos=
α = = l
A A + A 2y + A z2
2
x
Ay Ay
• Angle made with y-axis cos=
β = = m
A A + A 2y + A z2
2
x
Az Az
• Angle made with z-axis = cos=
γ = n
A A x + A 2y + A z2
2
l, m, n are called direction cosines of vector A .
A 2x + A 2y + A z2
l 2 + m 2 +=
n 2 cos 2 α + cos 2 β + cos=
2
γ = 1
( A 2x + A 2y + A z2 )
or sin2a + sin2b + sin2g = 2.
General Vector in x-y Plane
r = xiˆ + yjˆ= r(cos θˆi + sin θˆj)
y r = r (cos q i + sin q j )
q
x
Scalar Product (Dot Product)
−1 A ⋅ B
A ⋅ B ABcos θ ⇒ Angle between two vectors
= = cos
AB
e.g. work done = F . S (where F is the Force vector & S is the displacement
vector).
If A = A ˆi + A ˆj + A kˆ & B = B ˆi + B ˆj + B kˆ then
x y z x y z
A ⋅ B = AxBx + AyBy + AzBz and angle between A & B is given by
A⋅B A x B x + A y B y + A z Bz
cos
= θ =
AB A x + A 2y + A 2z B2x + B2y + Bz2
2
ˆi ⋅ ˆi = ˆj ⋅ ˆj = kˆ ⋅ kˆ = 1,
ˆi ⋅ ˆj =ˆi ⋅ kˆ =ˆj ⋅ kˆ =0
9 Vectors
Cross Product (Vector Product)
A × B = AB sin q n̂ where n̂ is a vector perpendicular to A & B or their
plane and its direction given by right hand thumb rule.
A × B =−B × A
A × B =−B × A
A × B =−B × A
• A × B =− B × A
ˆi ˆj kˆ
• A × B =A x Ay Az
Bx By Bz
= ˆi(A y Bz − A z By ) − ˆj(A x Bz − Bx A z ) + k(A
ˆ
x By − Bx A y )
• ˆi × =
ˆi 0, ˆj × =
ˆj 0, kˆ × kˆ= 0
• ˆi × ˆ=j kˆ ; ˆj × kˆ= ˆi,
kˆ × ˆi =ˆj ; ˆj × ˆi =−kˆ
kˆ × ˆj =−ˆi, ˆi × kˆ =−ˆj
j
+
i
–
Hand Book (Physics) 10
Area of Parallelogram
( )
Area = A B sin θ nˆ = A × B (where n̂ is the unit vector normal to the
plane containing A and B )
B
B sin q
q
A
Area of Triangle
| A×B| 1
Area =
= ABsin θ
2 2
B
B sin q
q
A
Differentiation of Vectors
d dA dB
• (A ⋅ B)= ⋅B+ A⋅
dt dt dt
d dA dB
• (A × B)= ×B+ A×
dt dt dt
Displacement Vector
r = r2 − r1 = (x 2 ˆi + y 2 ˆj + z 2 k)
ˆ − (x ˆi + y ˆj + z k)
1 1 1
ˆ
= (x − x )iˆ + (y − y )ˆj + (z − z )kˆ
2 1 2 1 2 1
11 Vectors
y
B
(X1,Y1, Z1) r
A (X2,Y2, Z2)
r1
r2
2 2 2
Magnitude r = | r | = (x 2 − x1 ) + (y 2 − y1 ) + (z 2 − z1 )
Lami’s Theorem
F1 F2
A
a q3
q2 q1
c b
b g
B a C F3
sin A sin B sin C F1 F2 F3
= = = =
sin θ sin θ sin θ3
a b c 1 2
KEY TIPS
• A unit vector has no unit.
• Electric current is not a vector as it does not obey the law of vector
addition.
• A scalar or a vector can never be divided by a vector.
• To a vector only a vector of same type can be added and the resultant
is a vector of the same type.
qqq
Hand Book (Physics) 12